I just had my locking wheel nuts replaced by Ford last month at a main dealer, as my local tyre place had knackered the locks and locking key trying to get the driver side front off (as well as chipping both alloys to buggery!!). I have just had the car back into ford for my brake pads replacing and it seems they can't get the driver side off again -has anyone else had this problem - mines a 10 plate zetec with the 17" alloys from the sport pack.

I am hoping this isn't a recurring problem as in trying to get the locking nut off they have damaged the alloy lacquer again and I just had them repaired after the last time!! At least they are going to sort that though at their expense!! I think I am within my rights to ask for a proper refurb and not just touch up given that I got them done 4 weeks ago at my expense!

 

On the drivers side the wheel bolts naturally tighten over time due to centrifugal force. Maybe for some reason your drivers lock nut is tighting it self up overtime?

 

Cheers - just seems weird that they have tightened so much in 4 weeks that they can't get them off???

 

The idiots probably use the impact gun to tighten it on, once youve got it off keep hold of it, dont let them put it back on, when your outside do it yourself with the wheel brace, and when your going in for work or tyres take the locker off yourself before you go in, less chance of these dicks wrecking your wheels then, or even worse, getting them stuck on.

 

It's because they grolly them up with an impact gun. Happened to my car, took a local garage a day and a half to get them off. They need to be done up by hand then finished off with a torque wrench.

 

focus wheel nuts should be torqued @ 130nm, locking wheel nuts @110nm. Have had a few focus/mondo locking wheelnuts which have been over tightened previously and therefore break the locking wheelnut key when trying to be undone